The House on Rock Harbor Road — October 4, 1961

Let’s just jump right back into my Dad’s journal from 1961, shall we? Here we are in October of ‘61. Today’s entry finds Wendell waxing on attending a book club, Muriel attending a PTA meeting, daughter Laurie who excels at being popular with the little boys, and Robin’s sit-up challenges. (Notes from Dell Smith, author of a blog titled “Unreliable Narrator” at www.dellsmith.com)

October 4…

We seem to get into more and more activities. In addition to choir, which this week went well, I have joined the Great Books Discussion Group. I attended the first meeting last Monday night at the elementary school. The discussion leaders are the Cochran’s. Moncrieff Cochran, a teacher and guidance director, at Nauset Regional High School, is now under attack by the school committee. He has refused to quit his job under fire and a hearing on the case is slated for October 20. His wife Betsy writes a column in the local paper. It is called the “Ironic Board” and is a rather good, humorous piece on the daily doings of a wife and columnist.

At any rate they conducted the meeting quite well, especially since there were 25 people present and only half a dozen had read the book under discussion, The Confessions of Saint Augustine. Next week, Hamlet, so the meeting should be more productive. I sat all evening wishing I had something to say and feeling more and more ignorant, and making all sorts of promises to myself to “be prepared,” at all costs.

Moo is also getting more and more involved, which is not what we’re trying to avoid but the change of pace from our past isolation may be shocking to our sensibilities. Last night she went to PTA. She had long talks with both Robin and Laurie’s teachers. They are doing quite well, in fact almost better than we have a right to ask.

Laurie is popular with the little boys in her class. She has always been a favorite girl for the boys in school. They seem to like her for her assurance and independence, as well as a certain physical charm she seems to hold over them. Moo was waiting to speak with Laurie’s teacher last night when the teacher to the woman in front of Moo, “Oh, here is Laurie’s mother now!” Moo, of course, expected the worst, whatever that could be. The problem in this case was not really Laurie. It seems the son of this woman, Brucey, had announced to the family that the blanket he took to school for naps must be wide enough for both he and Laurie. And he even tried it out before them, lying down on the living room floor to show them how Laurie would just fit beside him.

Robin in doing well and is in the top of the first or fast class. Only in gym is she lagging, for she must take a special class for presumably awkward kids. Her failing is not being able to do sit-ups.

We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Rules. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or fill out this form.

Blog Author

Robin Smith-Johnson

Robin Smith-Johnson is the newsroom librarian at the Cape Cod Times. Cape Rewind looks at Cape Cod history. Read Full